updated 01:00 pm EDT, Tue March 24, 2009

Acer Android phone in fall

Computer giant Acer is due to release an Android-powered handset as soon as September, according to an official at the Taiwanese company speaking to the Business Mirror. Due to be called the A1, the touchscreen cellphone may be just one of two devices from Acer to run on the Google-developed platform, as per an earlier report. The Acer executive, who wishes to remain nameless as he's not authorized to speak publicly regarding this, offered that the company will release four handset models in September.

Those who are permitted to talk about new products, namely Henry Wang from Acer and Google Beijing spokesperson Marsha Wang, declined comment.

When it launches the phone, Acer will contribute to the expected 5 percent of all smartphones in 2010 that run the open-source, Linux-based Android OS, according to CLSA Ltd. estimates. Other companies that build or will build Android phones include HTC, Samsung, LG and Motorola.

Last April, Acer announced it is planning on making handsets account for 10 percent of its total sales by 2011. To this end, it introduced four Windows-based phones last month that draw heavily on the recently acquired phone maker E-TEN.